The best Eczema, dermatitis, itchy rash cure November 25, 2008

Since my blog often turns up in general searches through various sites and search engines I thought it would be best to share with random readers something from personal experience. I’ve had this extremely stubborn rash that turned into several rashes after it spread around. I had it for a very long time (more than a year!) but as it was minor in the beginning I just ignored it. Only in the last 6 months or so it started to become really red and very itchy often causing restless, sleepless and very itchy nights! I had to be proactive. I tried several over the counter creams but nothing worked. Some natural ones can reduce itching and discomfort but bring no effective relief.

But here is what worked. Hydrocortisone cream (1% concentration). I bought mine from online pharmacy in New Zealand. I was surprised to see that my cream was manufactured all the way up there in Canada! Anyway, it works! Use only a thin layer over the affected and itchy area, not more than 3 times a day. I used it only 2 times a day as otherwise it will cause too much dryness which in itself can cause itchiness and irritation. Itching stopped on the first day of use. And dramatic results were achieved by 4th day, which means dramatic decrease in the appearance of rash itself. I hope it is killed 100% in due time. I also decided to use herbal licorice based cream which is supposed to work like milder version of Hydrocortisone cream. Licorice cream has the advantage of being soothing and moisturizing for the skin which can soothe any irritation that Hydrocortisone cream may cause. That’s why I think the combination is best. Other soothing natural cream could be PawPaw cream (made either of Papaya fruit or Pawpaw fruit, they’re different but work more or less the same way as soothing, healing creams)

As for costs, 30g of Hydrocortisone cream will cost you about $10 to $15. The quantity is more than enough as you should not use this cream for more than 7-10 days. (Do not use Hydrocortisone cream to treat Eczema of babies. Licorice and Pawpaw (made from Pawpaw fruit) can be effective for skin rashes that babies suffer from.) Any other Herbal cream- that you would use in combination with Hydrocortisone- would cost you anywhere between $8 to $15.

So, if you’re suffering from dermatitis, Eczema, stubborn itchy rash, this will certainly help. Millions- yes millions- of people suffer from these skin problems some time in their life. So, I’m hoping that this random post will be of great help to people. If you personally used this advice please let me know how it worked for you. You may also consider making a donation to my PayPal. Good luck and God bless.

Way to go America! November 5, 2008

”The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem.” — Walt Whitman.

The results are out and the winner is… the United States of America. Congratulations to President Barack Obama and the American people on their wonderful victory that also means America’s triumph over racial divide, narrow mindedness. Americans have shown the world why this is the greatest country in the world.

Even as tiny Western European countries keep on electing right wing politicians, America has set another great example for the rest of the western world. Because the United States are not provincial. This is the boldest, noblest, most unique and greatest nation in the world. Congratulations again.

My favorite Movie quotes November 3, 2008

I do believe that both TV and Movie industry produces literature. Of course, it has to be turned into an audio-visual product but behind every TV show (be it drama, Sitcom, Talk shows or even reality TV there are writers) I have watched some movies and remembered them just because of their extremely well done and concise dialogue. Here are a few I can remember randomly. I would update it later but it is worthwhile mentioning a few of my most beloved quotes:

1.) I don’t wanna be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me. (Spoken as opening lines in the movie, The Departed)

2.) But this is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing or die for something. (Spoken by Sylvester Stallone in the Rambo (2008))

3.) The shit piled up so fast in Vietnam you needed wings to stay above it. (Spoken by Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now)

4.) Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. (By Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption)

5.) These walls are funny. First you hate ‘em, then you get used to ‘em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized. (Spoken by Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption)

Ohh and almost everything in the movie Cold Mountain. This in my opinion is one of the most visually stunning movie that has dialogue as vivid and beautiful as the images in it. Here are a few quotes:

6.) Dear Mr. Inman, I began by counting the days, then the months. I don’t count on anything anymore except the hope that you will return, and the silent fear that in the years since we saw each other, this war, this awful war, will have changed us both beyond all reckoning. (Spoken by Nicole Kidman

7.) If you could see my inside, or whatever you want to name it; my spirit, that’s what I fear. I think I’m ruined. They kept trying to put me in the ground but I wasn’t ready. But if I had… if I had goodness, I lost it. If I had anything tender in me, I shot it dead! How could I write to you after what I’d done? What I’d seen? (Spoken by Jude Law)

8.) If you are fighting, stop fighting. If you are marching, stop marching. Come back to me. Come back to me is my request. (Spoken by Nicole Kidman)

9.) Lureen Newsome (a character): Do you think I’m going too fast? Maybe I should put on the brakes?

Jack Twist (Character): Fast or slow I like the direction you’re going. (Brokeback Mountain)

10.) Jack Twist: I wish I knew how to quit you. (Brokeback Mountain)

In praise of Truman Capote and Stephen King November 2, 2008

I think I can safely say that I like Stephen King much better as a person than his writing. I mean I really liked the guy whenever I heard his interviews or listened to his audio commentaries.

Doubtlessly, as a long time student and lover of Literature I was taught to dislike anything that is not classic or ‘good’ literature that ‘critics’ admire. Anyway, most of the premises of horror fiction are silly and very implausible. If you ask me what is my favorite horror piece of literature Truman Capote’s true crime (In Cold Blood) laced with his literary coloring got to be somewhere at the top. In cold blood is scary, haunting, disturbing.

It is really devastating how Capote first makes us fall in love with the whole clutter family and then vividly and gradually leads us to their slaughter at the hands of some petty criminals. I think the scariest part of the novel is where Perry Smith actually describes the crime scene, the way they drive their car up to the clutter property in a moonlit night. They quibble whether they should rob that household and then finally jump into it and finally almost out of frustration and anger of not getting what they wanted they decided to kill all members of Clutter family, one by one while all this time in his Christian naivety Mr. Clutter is being polite to them and begging them to leave. I guess I like psychological horror (Like American Psycho : Click to read my review)and not really spiritual horror though TheExorcist would be a good Exception.

Warning: A few spoilers—Just this week I decided to give Stephen King’s short story collection, Night Shift
a go. I really liked some of the short stories, especially ones where there are no evil spirits, monsters lurking around. I also found to my surprise that Stephen King mostly uses New England as his setting. I am a sucker for cold, snow, fog. And Mr. King’s works are full of those descriptions. I absolutely loved the Children of Corn but hated its ending. I loved the story up to the point the guy enters that ancient church. I’ve rarely read something that got my juices flowing that well. The descriptions of their fighting while driving in a car through the never-never land of Nebraskan wilderness, full of never ending corn fields, the sudden crash with a small boy, their stopping in the middle of nowhere to inspect the boy, the realization that the boy was actually killed before he hit the speeding car and the tension that follows later while they are in the car again. Cool stuff.

Another story that I really loved was The Last Rung. It was a perfect mix of adventure, thrill, childhood nostalgia, emotions, horror, sibling love and one big perfect heart break at the end. Go read it.

I am not sure if I want to read more of Stephen King straight away. I tried Bag of Bones once but lost interest. But I will be more open to reading some more of Stephen King’s work that display his ability to scare psychologically, instead of spiritual horror. But anyway, I kind of understand why people call him the King of Horror. It is a title that he rightfully deserves.